< 2 Samuel 17 >
1 Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Allow me to choose 12,000 men, and I will leave [with them] tonight to pursue David.
Ahithofeli akamwambia Absalomu, “Nipe ruhusa niwachague watu kumi na mbili elfu na waanze safari usiku huu huu kumfuatia Daudi.
2 We will attack him while he is tired and discouraged, and cause him to be very frightened. All the soldiers who are with him will run away. We will kill only the king.
Nitamshambulia wakati akiwa amechoka na ni dhaifu. Nitampiga na hofu, na kisha watu wote walio pamoja naye watakimbia. Nitampiga mfalme peke yake
3 Then we will bring back all his soldiers to you, like [SIM] a (bride/woman comes to her husband when she is married). You are wanting to kill only one man; so the other people will not be harmed.”
na kuwarudisha watu wote kwako. Kifo cha mtu yule unayemtafuta kitamaanisha kurudi kwa wote, hakuna hata mtu mmoja atakayeumizwa.”
4 Absalom and all the Israeli leaders [who were with him] thought that what Ahithophel said would be good to do.
Mpango huu ulionekana mzuri kwa Absalomu na kwa wazee wote wa Israeli.
5 But Absalom said, “Summon Hushai also, and we will hear what he suggests.”
Lakini Absalomu akasema, “Pia mwiteni Hushai, Mwariki, ili tuweze kusikia anachokisema.”
6 So when Hushai arrived, Absalom told him what Ahithophel had suggested. Then he asked Hushai, “What do you think we should do? If you do not think that we should do what Ahithophel suggests, tell us [what you think that we should do].”
Hushai alipokuja, Absalomu akasema, “Ahithofeli ametoa shauri hili. Je, tufanye anavyosema? Kama sivyo, tupe maoni yako.”
7 Hushai replied, “This time what Ahithophel has suggested is not good advice.
Hushai akamjibu Absalomu, “Shauri la Ahithofeli alilotoa halifai kwa wakati huu.
8 You know that your father and the men who are with him are strong soldiers, and that now they are very angry, like [SIM] a mother bear whose cubs have been stolen from her. Furthermore, your father knows how to fight because he has fought in many battles. He will not stay with his troops during the night.
Unamfahamu baba yako na watu wake, ni wapiganaji hodari, nao ni wakali kama dubu mwitu aliyepokonywa watoto wake. Zaidi ya hayo, baba yako ni mpiganaji jasiri, usiku hatalala pamoja na vikosi.
9 Right now he is probably already hiding in one of the pits, or in some other place. [If his soldiers start to attack your soldiers, and] if they kill some of them, whoever hears about that will say ‘Many of the soldiers with Absalom have been killed!’
Hata sasa, amefichwa ndani ya pango au mahali pengine. Kama atatangulia kushambulia vikosi vyako, yeyote asikiaye habari hii atasema, ‘Kuna machinjo makubwa miongoni mwa vikosi vinavyomfuata Absalomu.’
10 Then your other soldiers, even if they are as fearless [SIM, IDM] as lions, they will become very afraid. Do not forget that everyone in Israel knows that your father is a great/strong soldier, and that the soldiers who are with him are also very brave/courageous.
Basi hata yule askari hodari kuliko wengine wote, ambaye moyo wake ni kama wa simba, atayeyuka kwa hofu, kwa maana Israeli yote wanajua kwamba baba yako ni mpiganaji na kwamba wale walio pamoja naye ni watu hodari.
11 “So what I suggest is that you summon all the Israeli soldiers, from Dan [in the far north] to Beersheba [in the far south]. They will be as many as the grains of sand on the seashore [HYP]. And then you yourself lead us into the battle.
“Kwa hiyo nakushauri: Israeli wote na wakusanyikie kwako, kuanzia Dani hadi Beer-Sheba, katika wingi wao jinsi walivyo kama mchanga wa ufuoni mwa bahari, wewe mwenyewe ukiwaongoza vitani.
12 We will find [your father], wherever he is, and we will attack him [from all sides], like [SIM] dew covers all the ground. And neither he nor any of the soldiers who are with him will survive.
Ndipo tutakapomshambulia popote atakapoonekana, nasi tutamwangukia kama umande unavyoshuka juu ya ardhi. Yeye mwenyewe wala watu wake hakuna atakayeachwa hai.
13 If he escapes into some city, all our soldiers will bring ropes and pull that city down into the valley. As a result, not one stone will be left there [on top of the hill where that city was]!”
Kama atakimbilia katika mji wowote, basi Israeli wote watazungushia mji ule kamba, nasi tutauburuta mji huo mpaka bondeni hadi isionekane hata changarawe ya huo mji.”
14 Absalom and all the other Israeli men [who were with him] said, “What Hushai suggests is better than what Ahithophel suggested.” The reason that happened was that Yahweh had determined that if they would accept the good advice that Ahithophel had given them, [they would have been able to defeat/kill David]. But [as a result of their doing what Hushai suggested], Yahweh would cause a disaster to happen to Absalom.
Absalomu na watu wote wa Israeli wakasema, “Shauri la Hushai, Mwariki, ni jema zaidi kuliko lile la Ahithofeli.” Kwa maana Bwana alikuwa amekusudia kupinga shauri nzuri la Ahithofeli, ili kuleta maafa juu ya Absalomu.
15 Then Hushai told the two priests, Zadok and Abiathar, what both he and Ahithophel had suggested to Absalom and the Israeli leaders.
Hushai akawaambia makuhani Sadoki na Abiathari, “Ahithofeli amemshauri Absalomu na wazee wa Israeli kufanya kadha wa kadha, lakini mimi nimewashauri wao kufanya kadha wa kadha.
16 Then he said to them, “Send [a message] quickly to David. Tell him to not stay at the place where people walk across the river, near the desert. Instead, he and his soldiers must cross [the Jordan River] immediately, in order that they will not be killed/wiped out.”
Sasa tumeni ujumbe haraka na kumwambia Daudi, ‘Usiku huu usilale kwenye vivuko katika jangwa; vuka bila kukosa, la sivyo, mfalme pamoja na watu wote waliofuatana naye watamezwa.’”
17 [The priest’s two sons, ] Jonathan and Ahimaaz, were waiting at En-Rogel [Spring], outside Jerusalem. They did not [dare to] enter the city, because if someone saw them, [he would report it to Absalom]. [While they were at En-Rogel, ] a female servant [of the two priests] would frequently go to them and report to them [what was happening], and then they would go and report it to King David.
Yonathani na Ahimaasi walikuwa wakingoja huko En-Rogeli, naye mtumishi mmoja wa kike akawa anakwenda kuwapasha habari nao wakawa wanakwenda kumwambia Mfalme Daudi, kwa maana wasingetaka kujihatarisha kuonekana wakiingia mjini.
18 But a young man saw them, and went and reported it to Absalom. [They found out what the young man had done, ] so both of them left quickly and went to stay in the house of a man in Bahurim. That man had a well in his courtyard; so the two men went down into the well [to hide].
Lakini kijana mmoja mwanaume akawaona, naye akamwambia Absalomu. Basi wote wawili wakaondoka haraka, wakaenda mpaka kwenye nyumba ya mtu mmoja huko Bahurimu. Mtu huyo alikuwa na kisima katika ua wa nyumba yake, nao Yonathani na Ahimaasi wakateremka ndani ya kisima hicho.
19 The man’s wife took a cloth/mat and covered the well, and scattered grain on top of it in order that no one would know [that two men were hiding inside it].
Mkewe akachukua kifuniko, akakiweka kwenye mdomo wa kile kisima na kuanika nafaka juu yake. Hakuna mtu yeyote aliyefahamu chochote kuhusu jambo hilo.
20 Some of Absalom’s soldiers [found out where the two men had gone. So they] went to the house, and asked the woman, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” She replied, “They crossed the river.” So the soldiers [crossed the river and] searched for them. But they could not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem.
Watu wa Absalomu walipofika kwa huyo mwanamke, wakamuuliza, “Wako wapi Ahimaasi na Yonathani?” Huyo mwanamke akawajibu, “Walivuka kijito.” Watu wa Absalomu wakapekua lakini hawakuwaona hata mmoja, hivyo wakarudi Yerusalemu.
21 After they had gone, the two men came out of the well and went and reported to King David [what had happened and] what Ahithophel had suggested. Then they said to him, “Cross the river quickly!”
Baada ya watu hao kuondoka, wale watu wawili yaani Yonathani na Ahimaasi wakapanda kutoka mle kisimani na kwenda kumpasha Mfalme Daudi habari. Wakamwambia, “Ondoka, uvuke haya maji haraka. Ahithofeli ameshauri kadha wa kadha dhidi yako.”
22 So David and all his soldiers quickly started to cross the Jordan [River], and by dawn they had all crossed to the other side.
Kwa hiyo Daudi na watu wote aliokuwa nao waliondoka na kuvuka Yordani. Kufika wakati wa mapambazuko, hapakuwa na mtu hata mmoja ambaye alikuwa hajavuka Mto Yordani.
23 When Ahithophel realized that Absalom was not going to do what he suggested, he put a saddle on his donkey and returned to his own town. He gave [to his family] instructions about his possessions, and then he hanged himself [because he knew that Absalom would be defeated and that he would be considered a traitor and be killed]. His body was buried in the tomb where his ancestors [had been buried].
Ahithofeli alipoona kwamba shauri lake halikufuatwa, akatandika punda wake, akaondoka kwenda nyumbani kwake kwenye mji wake. Akaiweka nyumba yake katika utaratibu, kisha akajinyonga mwenyewe. Hivyo akafa na akazikwa katika kaburi la baba yake.
24 David [and his soldiers] arrived at Mahanaim. And Absalom [and all his Israeli soldiers] also crossed the Jordan [River].
Daudi akaenda Mahanaimu, naye Absalomu akavuka Yordani pamoja na watu wote wa Israeli.
25 Absalom had appointed [his cousin] Amasa to be the commander of his army, instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Jether, a descendant of Ishmael. Amasa’s mother was Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and the sister of Joab’s mother Zeruiah.
Absalomu alikuwa amemweka Amasa juu ya jeshi badala ya Yoabu. Amasa alikuwa mwana wa mtu mmoja aliyeitwa Yetheri, Mwisraeli, ambaye alikuwa amemwoa Abigaili binti Nahashi, dada yake Seruya mamaye Yoabu.
26 Absalom and his Israeli soldiers set up their tents in [the] Gilead [region].
Waisraeli na Absalomu wakapiga kambi huko nchi ya Gileadi.
27 When David [and his soldiers] arrived at Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah [city] in the Ammon area, and Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-Debar [city], and Barzillai from Rogelim [town] in [the] Gilead [region]
Daudi alipofika Mahanaimu, Shobi mwana wa Nahashi kutoka Raba ya Waamoni, Makiri mwana wa Amieli kutoka Lo-Debari, na Barzilai Mgileadi kutoka Rogelimu
28 brought sleeping mats, bowls, clay pots, barley, wheat flour, parched grain, beans, and lentils to them.
wakaleta matandiko ya kitandani, mabakuli na vyombo vya mfinyanzi. Walileta pia ngano na shayiri, unga na bisi, maharagwe na kunde,
29 They brought honey and curds, sheep, and some cream/cheese for David and his soldiers to eat. They knew that David and his soldiers would be hungry and tired and thirsty [from marching] in the desert.
asali na maziwa yaliyoganda, kondoo na jibini kutoka kwenye maziwa ya ngʼombe kwa ajili ya Daudi na watu wake ili wale. Kwa maana walisema, “Watu wameona njaa, tena wamechoka na wamepata kiu huko jangwani.”